The United States
Sign Council (USSC)
Since even before the beginning of recorded history, signs have served mankind with one of its most important and easily understood means of communication.
Today - as our environments become increasingly more complex - the need for direction, guidance, and information by means of adequate sign systems has never been more critical.
TheUnited States Sign Council is dedicated to providing an educational resource for the sign industry and it the largest Association of independent Sign shops in the world.
I am member of the USSC for many reasons, but the most important is the rock-solid information gleaned from years of research the Foundation has done about free-speech issues, and community regulation. This knowledge is of supreme value to my clients, who need to know EXACTLY what kind of results they can expect to get from their signs - whether they are spending $1000 or $100,000 - and what kind of conditions they may encounter to get the best results that Signage offers.
Signs are mankind's oldest and still most direct form of visual communication. In the contemporary environment, they are used for guidance, orientation, place mapping, locational awareness, information, advertising, and market specific promotion.United States Sign Council has been dedicated to providing an educational resource for the sign industry, and is now the largest association of independent sign shops in the world.Although their use is universal, an understanding of precisely how they function to serve the needs of our high speed, high energy environments is critical to assure that the messages they convey are clearly visible and readily understood.
It is to the accomplishment of these ends that the research programs of the United States Sign Council Foundation are undertaken.
(1) SIGN VISIBILITY, Research and Traffic Safety Overview (89p)
Overview of basic safety factors affecting on-premise signs plus a compendium of research data from all sources to date of issue. Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Pennsylvania State University, 1996. Click here to order.
$25.00
(2) SIGN LEGIBILITY, The Impact of color and Illumination (80p)
Results of test track studies into detection and legibility of on-premise signs. Basis for USSC Legibility Index. Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Pennsylvania State University, 1998. Click here to order.
$25.00
(3)
REAL WORLD ON-PREMISE SIGN VISIBILITY, The Impact of the
Driving Task on Sign Detection and Legibility (56p)
Results of real world driving tasks and conditions impacting on-premise
sign
detection and legibility. Comparison of real world and test track
results,
indicating significant differences. Pennsylvania Transportation
Institute,
Pennsylvania State University, 2002. Click here
to
order.
$25.00
(4)
SIGN VISIBILITY, Effects of Traffic Characteristics and Mounting
Height (64p)
Through use of computer simulation and mathematical models, the
significant
sight line blocking of low mounted ground signs is documented. Charts
illustrate
the degree of sight line blockage in varied traffic flow scenarios.
Pennsylvania
Transportation Institute, Pennsylvania State University 2003. Clickhere
to
order.
$25.00
(5) TRAFFIC SAFETY STUDY,
An Examination of the
Relationship between Signs and Traffic Safety
(80p)
Examines the relationship between the presence of signs and traffic
accidents
through an intensive mile by mile analysis of the New Jersey Turnpike,
one
of the most highly traveled roads in the United States. Essentially, a
thorough
statistical analysis relating sign density to accident density
concluded that
roadside signs have no statistical relationship to the occurrence of
accidents.
An additional study involving the relationship of accident data to the
existence
of an animated sign at a highly congested urban intersection indicated
the
same uncorrelated relationship between the existence of the sign and
accidents
rates over a two year period. Tantala Associates, Consulting Engineers,
2003. Click here
to
order.
$25.00
(6)
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ON-PREMISE SIGN LIGHTING, With Respect
to Potential Light Trespass, Sky Glow, and Glare. (26p)
Addresses the actual and perceived effect of varied types of
illuminated signs
on the dispersion of light in the nighttime environment, concluding
that on-premise
signs have minimal effect when current norms of measurement for light
trespass,
sky glow, and glare are employed. Pennsylvania Transportation
Institute, Pennsylvania
State University, 2004. Click here
to
order.
$25.00
(7)
RELATIVE VISIBILITY OF INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY ILLUMINATED
ON-PREMISE SIGNS (24p)
Examines differences in both visibility and legibility between
internally illuminated
and externally illuminated (including dimensional) on-premise signs.
Extensive
day and night field tests now confirm that internal sign illumination,
on average,
provides 40% greater visibility and 60% greater legibility than that
provided
by external sign illumination. Pennsylvania Transportation Institute,
Pennsylvania
State University, 2004. Click here
to
order.
$25.00
(8)
DRIVER INFORMATION LOAD (4p)
Current research findings regarding the presence of roadside signs and
their
potential impact on driver performance. Pennsylvania Transportation
Institute,
Pennsylvania State University, 2003. Click here
to
order.
$5.00
(9)
SIGN LEGIBILITY, Overview and Calculation Methodology, Sign
Legibility Index (6p)
Tabular Legibility Index based on 1998 research study of Pennsylvania
Transportation
Institute, plus calculation methodology for traffic speed and negative
space
factors. United States Sign Council, 1998. Click here
to
order.
$5.00
(10) GUIDELINE CODE FOR REGULATION OF ON-PREMISE SIGNS (28p)
Comprehensive model of suggested means appropriate for local regulation
of
on-premise signs, including definitions, general sign types, size
computation
methodologies, area limitations and calculation charts, and specific
regulation
of sign types by zone. United States Sign Council, 2001. Clickhere
to
order.
$15.00
(11)
UNITED STATES SIGN COUNCIL BEST PRACTICES STANDARDS FOR ON-PREMISE
SIGNS (48p)
A research based approach to sign size, legibility, and height. Amply
illustrated
with tables, charts, and mathematical formulate designed to facilitate
the calculation
of sign letter height and copy area, negative space, overall sign size,
and
sign height as functions of the speed of travel utilizing the
application of
such factors as message size, message scan time, viewer reaction time
and distance,
and copy area; all presented in easy to understand language and simple
tables
or formulas. United States Sign Council, 2003. Click here
to
order.
$25.
(12)
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTER RESEARCH REVIEW (32p)
A definitive, up-to-date synopsis of currently available research
concerning
the use, function, safety, and regulation of
Electronic Message Center signs. With the increasing popularity of this
type
of sign display among on-premise sign users, the study provides a
credible
resource designed to answer questions from both users and regulators
alike
about this technology, as well as to help dispel a good deal of
misinformation
relative to the effectiveness and safety of Electronic Message Centers.
The
volume includes an annotated bibliography as well, allowing for the
provision
of documentation of any sources referenced. Click here
to
order.
$25.
(13)
ON-PREMISE SIGNS: THE IMPACT OF ZONING REGULATION ON SITE PERFORMANCE (36p)
A pioneering effort to categorically establish the link between
adequate on-premise
signs and business success. In a study of 88 mass retailers,
representing over
68,000 retail sites throughout the United States, the study clearly
demonstrates
a straight line relationship between business performance and adequate
on-premise
sign size, height, location, color, and position, documented by charts
and
first person interviews. In one telling criteria alone, for example,
on-premise
signs were adjudged to represent 91.6% of the potential for a retail
site’s
performance! United States Sign Council, 2005. Click here
to
order.
$25.
(14)
ON PREMISE SIGNS: DETERMINATION OF PARALLEL SIGN LEGIBILITY
AND LETTER HEIGHTS
(20p)
Provides legibility values for signs parallel to a motorist's point of
view
which are inherently more difficult to read than perpendicular signs
which
are mounted directly in front of the motorist. Based on current
research, the
study provides a mathematical model that makes it possible to calculate
the
additional letter heights necessary to provide for adequate parallel
sign legibility.
This model can easily be applied to the current USSC Legibility
Standards and
Legibility Index (See 11 above, United States Sign Council Best
Practices Standards
for On-Premise Signs) so that letter heights developed for
perpendicular signs
form the basis for the larger letter heights necessary for parallel
signs
under similar roadside conditions. The publication offers formulate for
calculation
of the parallel letter heights as well as easy-to-use letter height
lookup
tables for many typical parallel sign scenarios. United States Sign
Council
Foundation 2006. Click here
to
order.
$25.
(15)
THE SCIENCE OF SIGN ZONING
(Compact
Disk)
A
useful compendium of selected USSC research publications
in PDF form designed to facilitate development of performance
oriented community sign systems based on empirical
scientific research. Click here for description of
contents of the CD and ordering information. Click here
for
more info/order.
$25.00